dimanche 7 septembre 2014

Animals that don't Exist

The Millennium Falcon

The millennium falcon,
Schistocerca millenia, is a
member of the Acrididae family, and a close relative of the desert
locust. Due to its incredible size (a wingspan of thirty centimeters
(~11 inches), and a body length of twenty centimeters (~8 inches)),
it is one of the largest insect species of modern times. When it is
in full flight, it can easily be mistaken for a bird of prey.

Contrary
to most species of locusts, the millennium falcon has an extended
larval stage. Indeed, most individuals spend their entire life in a
larval state, even for reproduction. For reasons that are as of yet
unknown, the millennium falcon only pupates once every one thousand
years. During that event, its population explodes dramatically, and
during one month, there is an accelerated cycle of reproduction and
migration, which allows the millennium falcon to spread to new
territories. After that rapid population growth, it then goes back to
living as larvae for the next one thousand years. The millennium
falcon is believe to be the cause of the plague of locusts mentioned
in the old testament, since the time-frame corresponds more or less
to the population cycle of this uncommon insect.

Scientists
who have been studying the millennium falcon believe that its extreme
life-cycle is a way to avoid predation of its adult state, and
increases overall fitness, since the larval state live exclusively
underground, and thus have less predators than the flying adult form.
In addition, due to the extremely long cycle it takes before the
adult stage appears, no predators are able to adapt to it and
anticipate the explosive population growth that occurs at that
time.

Although
it has been considered a plague by many in the past, precise analysis
of the ecosystems in which the millennium falcon lives has shown that
the “plague” of locusts that appears every one thousand years is
actually highly beneficial to species diversity and overall biomass,
since it represents a bountiful harvest for a number of predators. In
addition, the harsh reduction of plant biomass creates an opportunity
for underrepresented species, since it level the playing-field and
creates new niches.

In
western culture in particular, the millennium falcon has been largely
ignored, mainly due to its sporadic apparition. However, it has, in
some uncanny ways, influenced some people, who thought that it was a
mythical cousin of the falcon (bird). One of the most well-known
admires of the insect is, of course, George Lucas.